Note: This is a seattlepi.com reader blog. It is not written or edited by the P-I. The authors are solely responsible for content. E-mail us at newmedia@seattlepi.com if you consider a post inappropriate.

Monthly Archive for March, 2008

: March, 2008

If you want to be a culture hound without falling asleep at the opera, check out the Loony Tunes spin on classical music in “A Corny Concerto.” The 1943 cartoon was intended as a parody of Disney’s “Fantasia,” but you can count on Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig and the rest of the Merrie Melodies gang to turn highbrow humor into merry madness. It was ranked by animators as 47 out of 50 of the Greatest Cartoons of all time. Strauss was never funnier. …

Spring is here, but for those who can’t get enough of the snow, check out the movie “Ski Party” starring Frankie Avalon, Dwayne Hickman and Annette Funicello. It’s like a snow covered beach party with a yodeling polar bear on skates! And James Brown singing “I Feel Good” at the lodge in a flamboyant ski sweater – it doesn’t get any better than that unless of course you toss in Lesley Gore singing “Sunshine and Lollipops” on a Greyhound Bus. That’s Entertainment! …

Peeps are the most popular chicks around. Over 50 years old and as attractive as ever. Over one billion are produced annually and 700 million were consumed over Easter weekend. That’s a lot of chicks! There’s even a movie about them. Visit powerofthepeep.com …

If your cat is curious (and whose cat isn’t??) remember the second half of the equation in the well worn phrase “curiosity killed the cat” is more than just an old cliche. Easter Lilies attract curious cats but cause kidney failure in felines so consider fake flowers for the holiday table this year, or place the real ones out of reach, which for most cats would mean enclosed in a locked glass case inside a vault! Then curl up with your kitty and enjoy a feline flick like “That Darn Cat” starring Hayley Mills and Disney darling, Dean Jones. Unlike the cat in the movie, at least yours isn’t a spy. Or maybe it is?!? …

Ever wonder why there’s so much variation in dog design? How could a Chihuahua possibly spring from the same family tree as a St. Bernard? According to Marilyn vos Savant (famous for being the human with the highest I.Q. in the Guinness Book of World Records), the genetic blueprint for dogs is more complicated than cats, for example. Even with a few exotic cat breeds thrown into the mix, most kitties tend to look reasonably alike in size, shape and features while the variation in dogs is more multi-faceted. The reason is that dog genes, unlike any other species, control “time, rate and length” in the development of individual body parts, like long nose or pug face, stumpy doxie legs or lengthy limbs for greyhounds. So enjoy the spice of life known as variety, courtesy of mother nature, that designing diva! And enjoy the comic differences in doggy design in the 1966 Disney family classic “The Ugly Dachshund” starring Dean Jones with a Great Dane who thinks he’s a Doxie. …

Answer to the Name Game question in the previous post: “Moses.” The pet pooch portrayed in the 2004 comedy hit “Meet the Fockers” was played by a dog named “Terem” who was a Yorkie/Chihuahua mix sometimes referred to as a YorkieChi, YorkieWaWa or Chorkie. Whatever the mix, he was 100% cute. The Yorkie/Chihuahua pictured here is named Tanner and is available for adoption at Petfinder.com …

For anyone “rattled” by the snake photo in the previous post, here’s a more soothing snapshot, although if you’ve ever heard a couple of yapping Yorkies battle it out in a barkfest, soothing isn’t the best word to describe the spunky breed! Now – can you guess two pet names that rank in the top ten for both dogs and cats? Okay, so I gave you a little clue. Try something more “ruff” – can you name the Yorkie/Chihuahua mix movie star in “Meet the Fockers”? …

Readers remind Film Hound of great cinematic snake moments including “Raiders of the the Lost Ark” and the snake pit of doom as well as slapstick snakes wrangled by Pee Wee Herman in a valiant pet store fire scene rescue in “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure.” Thanks readers, and let’s not forget Charleton Heston as Moses in “The Ten Commandments” with a Biblical staff transformed into a slithering snake, a big-time special effect in its day. And Medusa’s serpentine hairdo in “Clash of the Titans.” As for the little critter pictured above, its a baby Corn Snake looking for a home at Petfinder.com …

St. Patrick was famous for driving snakes out of Ireland and some of them made their way to Hollywood. So why not celebrate St. Patty’s Day with a snake flick? There’s “Anaconda” and the more low budget “Snake People” starring Boris Karloff from 1971. Enjoy a frothy green beverage and slithery serpent today! …

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Note: This is a seattlepi.com reader blog. It is not written or edited by the P-I. The authors are solely responsible for content. E-mail us at newmedia@seattlepi.com if you consider a post inappropriate.